Friday, 31 October 2014

As you may have guessed from the name of this blog, I am a fan of mashed
potato. I love it for it's unfussy, simple honesty and rustic charm. I
don't write about it because it's a sure thing. Everyone knows Mashed
Potato. But today, for Halloween, I decided to dress it up like this

That's sweet potato and sweetcorn mash up there with crispy crayfish,
toasted sesame seeds (Oh my God - delicious), green chillies, spring
onions and some paprika-infused Argan oil my love brought me from Morocco. I cooked the corn on the cob and unpeeled sweet potatoes together in
salted water, until soft. I kept the skin on the potatoes as this is
where most of the vitamins are (read: because I'm a bit lazy), and mashed them with more sea salt, black
pepper and goat's butter. I then added all the fancy stuff, which you
can substitute for other fancy stuff if you like

Thursday, 30 October 2014

There are so many things that don't quite work out in life, and this is okay. There are lessons to be learnt, compromises to be made, battles to be lost as well won, things given up on completely and things deemed worthy of being worked on gradually. Yet yet... when there is a success, no matter how minor, I am of the opinion that it should be celebrated. I am my father's daughter in this way - any excuse to open a bottle of champagne. While for my dad this is literally the case, for me, the champagne is more of a metaphor. It's a part of the reason why I write this blog, in celebration of the little things. Today I am celebrating this spicy chorizo and tomato scrambled eggs that was made in celebration of my brother's birthday

You need to pour boiling water over the tomatoes first, then peel and chop them. Melt some butter on a frying pan and add small cubes of chorizo sausage and some red chilli slices. Once the butter has turned red in colour, add the tomatoes and continue to fry until the tomatoes have almost disintegrated. Meanwhile beat the eggs and season with salt, pepper and a dash of paprika. Add them to the pan and continue to stir gently as they cook. We ate these with toasted crusty bread and sauteed spinach, slices of avocado and Bloody Marys (with the obligatory celery stick) on the side

Monday, 27 October 2014

It's been birthday season in my world. My attempt to make a cake for my boyfriend and his mum last week went disastrously wrong. The cake tasted fine (maybe more than fine), but I was in too much of a hurry making it, not present enough in that particular moment (been so busy recently) and the middle of it just fell out to leave a massive, gaping hole. I cut cupcakes out of it in order to save the day, then used the rest as a base for trifle. This dish ended up looking like something from the inside of a human body. Red jelly, rasberries and custard all melting together is never a good look. Though admittedly it also tasted very good. Birthday brunch for my brother, on the other hand, was a dream, which I will tell you about it next time. This green bean salad with a yoghurt, sesame dressing I made as part of my boy's birthday celebrations also turned out very well. Thank God. I was starting to worry that I'd lost my touch.

Blanche the green beans, runner beans and broccoli in salted water for about 5mins, then drain and cool under cold, running water. Slice the courgette very finely and toast the sesame seeds on a large frying pan. For the vinaigrette, I used a small cup of greek bio yoghurt, some sesame oil, the juice of one lemon, with plenty of sea salt and black pepper. With it we ate roast sweet potatoes with garlic, rosemary and cherry tomatoes and some (organic) salmon fried in goats' butter with the skin fried first on a high heat to make it all crispy, and more lemon squeezed on top. Faith in self restored.

Thursday, 16 October 2014

As you may or may not have noticed my routine has gone out of the window recently. Flown away to another time and place, one where I didn't have a full time (if freelance) job and wasn't working nights and weekends on another creative project (which I am very excited about). I am still cooking and eating of course, and when the light is right, I still may take a picture or two, it's just that I haven't found the time to calmly sit down and write about it. It's not easy maintaining good habits when life suddenly switches gear from one to five. And it's even harder to find the motivation to start again, when you know that your failure to do so has already lost you half your readership. It's a catch 22. As are so many things in life I find... Yet here I am again. And here's the kind of food that helps me keep my energy levels up and constant at times like these...

It's tempting to stuff your face with the biscuits and cakes that are always readily available is offices. Especially when you're rushed, tired and the weather changes... All I can say is: don't. I've been there and it's another one of those pointless loops. We all need treats, but I suggest we should think carefully about what we believe is a genuine treat and what's going to end up harming us in some way. Buckwheat is delicious and wholesome in its simplicity. The roasted stuff you will find in a polish shop or the East European food section of your supermarket. We cook it like rice, only steam it for longer at the end of the cooking time. I used dried wild mushroom, rehydrating them before and using the water to cook the buckwheat too. You can use fresh mushrooms. Fry them with some onion and thyme, using a mild olive oil, while cooking buckwheat separately. Combine the two on the frying pan, and add feta chunks. Eat hot or cold as a salad for lunch, like you see up there, with a million radishes to stave off any colds and other infectious diseases that may be going round.

Zuza Zak

Cooking is more than just making something to eat. It is a way of connecting to our planet, our past, other people and cultures… Through food, I am rediscovering my own Slavic roots, as well as exploring other cuisines from around the world. Sometimes I am adventurous and experimental, other times I keep it basic and well rehearsed. At all times, I approach the act of cooking (and eating!) with love. I write not only about food but also about life, because to me the two are inseparable